Though far from the electrifying force its name might suggest, the LG Volt is a potent Android smartphonefor the price ($179.99) on Boost Mobile. It's essentially a rebranded LG Lucid 3, but Boost bumps the battery capacity up to a whopping 3,000mAh, which equates to all-day battery life and then some. And it's still got the same compact design we liked on the Verizon model, while performance is in line with similarly priced devices. It's comparable to the Warp 4G, which has a sharper 720p display, but more dated hardware and a significantly smaller battery. Between the two, I personally prefer the Volt—it's a great value pick for those who can't afford the $600 for a Galaxy S5, but still want a modern Android experience.

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The LG Volt is nearly identical to the LG Lucid 3 on Verizon, so head over to that review for a full rundown on the design and features. I'll cover the slight physical and software differences between the two for this review.

Design, Call Quality, and AndroidWith a beefier battery, the LG Volt is marginally thicker and heavier than its Verizon counterpart at 5.18 by 2.6 by 0.41 inches (HWD) and 4.8 ounces. The glossy back is gone, in favor of a textured, matte plastic cover that I much prefer. That back still peels off to reveal the removable 3,000mAh battery (up from 2,440mAh on the Lucid 3) and SIM and microSD card slots. The Volt still feels solidly built and compact for its display size. Also new to the Volt is a built-in IR emitter embedded on the top of the phone—the preloaded Quick Remote app worked fine with a number of HDTVs in our lab.

Note: The slideshow below is of the LG Lucid 3, which is physically identical to the LG Volt.

Boost Mobile piggybacks on Sprint's nationwide 3G and 4G networks. The Volt supports CDMA (800/1900MHz) and LTE (850/1900/2500MHz), which means fast speeds on Sprint's new Spark LTE network—where you can find it, of course. Call quality was disappointing, with weak noise cancellation and low transmission quality through the mic. My voice often sounded muffled and digitized, and when I ventured into a noisier environment, everything became a garbled mess. Earpiece volume is sufficient and callers on the other end sound clear and easy to understand.

In my tests, the 3,000mAh battery was good for over 20 hours of continuous talk time. That's significantly longer than the Lucid 3, which lasted for 15 hours in the same test.

The Volt runs Android 4.4.2 with the same LG Optimus UI tweaks found in the Lucid 3. Of the 8GB of total storage, only 3.8GB is available to users out of the box. Boost's loathsome Mobile ID software is onboard, but luckily most of the pre-loaded apps that go along with it are removable. Our 64GB microSD card worked fine as well, but you can't install apps onto the SD card by default, meaning bigger titles like Asphalt 8 are going to quickly fill up the phone's internal storage.

ConclusionsWhile the Lucid 3 was simply another entry-level option in a sea of subsidized phones on Verizon, the quality and breadth of options on Boost elevate the Volt above its Verizon counterpart. $180 gets you a modern Android smartphone with bonuses like extra-long battery life and a built-in IR blaster for controlling home theater devices. Those two useful features, combined with the overall solid experience, make the Volt a great affordable option on Boost. If you prioritize screen clarity, the Warp 4G or even the two-year-old Samsung Galaxy S III are better options, though neither supports Sprint's new Spark LTE.

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About the Author

Before joining the consumer electronics team at PCMag, Eugene worked at local news station NY1 doing everything from camera work to writing scripts. He grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010. Outside of work Eugene enjoys TV, loud music, and making generally healthy and responsible life choices.

LG Volt (Boost Mobile)

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